Sister Trouble
by demented cookies
Summary: Jordan is just one ordinary boy with an annoying sister. Meanwhile, LEP receives word that Opal's sister is out and about causing trouble. I'm running out of room...better than it sounds! Please read and review!
1. Jordan

**My latest fic!! Tadaa! Just one thing: the only characters I own are Jordan, Jan, Ruby, and a lot of the minor characters like Miss Jaquelynn and Jordan's parents. I don't own Holly, Trouble or anybody else. Just so you don't sue me. Okay...enjoy! Reviews and constructive criticisms welcome!**

Prologue

Here I am, biking down the street as fast as I possibly can. There's only one thought on my mind: _she's gone!_ The air around me is cold and the wind blowing past my face isn't helping. I'm too blinded by her disappearance to notice anything. And the gravel road in front of me where the pavement ends counts as anything. As my bike lurches forward, skidding on the gravel, I realize I probably should have pumped up my tires yesterday when I was meaning to. I fall off my bike and land hard on my knees and elbows. Sitting up, I examine my elbows. They're cut and they sting. A little blood is creeping past my poor sore, scratched up skin.

I cry out in pain and anger as I throw a piece of the evil gravel into the air. I'm almost too angry to hear the sound of rock against metal but I do and then I hear something fall to the ground and that something cries, "Ow!" Couriously, I pick up another piece of gravel and send it flying at the same spot I heard the painful cry. That same invisible something cries out again.

I know how it feels to be completely in the dark and everything and I also know that's probably how you're feeling right now. Maybe I should start at the beginning…

Chapter one

Jordan

I am a soccer player. I'm on a small boy's team. I'm not very good but everyone seems to think so. Of course, whenever you're good at something, most of the time, you don't think so. That's the way it is with me, mind you.

I am also not exactly a strait A student and this time it's true. That's why I have my sister, Janet. She's the smart one in the family, even though she's two years younger than me. And that's probably the only reason that good-for-nothing jerk of a sister is on this planet.

To tell the truth, Jan and I are as different as night and day. Not only in personality traits but in appearance. I have strait red hair that is usually uncombed and messy and a freckled face that almost all of the time looks like it has never seen the shower. I'm tall too, tall for a twelve year old. Last time I measured myself was half a year ago, and I was already five feet seven inches.

Jan, though, is short and skinny for her age. She's got really really dark brown hair so it's almost black which is a little straiter than curly and a little curlier than wavy. She's got these really dark eyes so sharp it looks like they could cut you in half, and malicious in my opinion.

Okay, on with the story. It was the morning of February 19, the day my life got better and worse at the same time, if that's possible. I was in English class today, as usual. Mrs. Jenkins was lecturing us about something not worth knowing, as usual. English is _the_ worst class ever for many reasons. It's boring, Mrs. Jenkins is older than dirt and really strict, my sister is in it. There's another thing about my sister. She's only ten and already in seventh grade. She never attended third or fifth.

So, as I was saying, I was in English class doing nothing. We were supposed to be taking a spelling test and Jan suddenly walked up to Mrs. Jenkins and said something to her. I couldn't quite hear because they were talking in low whispers. Then Mrs. Jenkins walked over to my desk with her short, quick steps, her highheels making an annoying tapping sound on the floor. She bent low to me and whispered, "I need you to escort your sister to the nurse's office."

I got up, holding my breath, not daring to get any closer to that ugly old prehistoric bird. I scooted out into the hall, grabbing my sister by the sleeve on the way. Out in the hall, I let out that breath in a whoosh.

"You couldn't pay me to get that close to that fossil again," I gasped.

Jan rolled her eyes. "You're exaggerating. She's not that bad."

"_Right_." I pulled her sleeve and dragged her to the nurse's office. I would rather be in the nurse's office than in Mrs. Jenkin's classroom. Actually, I would rather be in the nurse's office than _any_ classroom. All the boy's in school are purposefully hurting themselves all the time just to get to sit in the nurse's office. Miss Jaquelynn, as we're supposed to call her, looks more like a twenty-year-old college student than a school nurse.

She's got crazy curly brown hair that she keeps out of her eyes with a red head band and never, ever wears make-up. She says everyone should be glad about how she or she looks natually rather than smearing color on their faces to make them look better. I don't blame her, she is the prettiest teacher in Ireland .

Miss Jaquelynn put her hand to Jan's forehead. Then she walked to her cabinet and rumaged through it till she came out with a thermometer.

"Under your tongue," she reminded. A little while later, she took the thermometer out and said, "you've got one hell of a fever there, Jan. I think it would be best if you went home. Are your parents able to pick you up?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I've never known you to lie. Jordan ?"

"Yes," I said instantly.

Miss Jaquelynn told me to take my sister home. She gave me a yellow sticky note with some messy handwriting on it. She told me to give it to Mrs. Jenkins excusing my sister and me from class. She said I should stay home and take care of my sister and make sure she didn't get in any trouble. She chuckled knowing that pigs would fly before Jan got in trouble. She was just being safe.

I took it in my hand. "Thanks, Miss Jaquelynn."

"No problem."

We walked down the sidewalk. "My head hurts," Jan said.

"Tough."

"I mean it hurts."

"Yeah, as I said, tough."

"Are we almost home?"

"Maybe."

"Are we?"

"Fine! Yes!"

"Okay." See what I mean? Now I regret arguing with her because while we were I didn't see the black van with tinted windows until it screeched to a halt in front of us when we got to the corner.

"Watch out!" I said as Jan and I toppled backwards onto the sidewalk.

We heard a door slam on the other side and a very _very_ short woman came around and stood in front of us. She was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans and wore mirrored sunglasses. Her strait black hair was in a pony-tail.

"You must be Janet and Jordan Smyth," she said.

"Yeah, so?" I was still angry at her for surprising us and knocking us down.

"Get up."

We did so and she opened the passenger door and sternly told us to get inside. She herself went around to the drivers side and got in. I could see that the seat had been raised so she could see out the window and there were wooden blocks attached to the gas and break so she could reach. She must have been three feet tall at the maximum.

"Who are you?" Jan asked.

The woman took of her sunglasses to reveal stunningly green eyes. She smiled brightly and said, "my name is Ruby. I believe your father is in the oil business."

"Yeah."

"I'm a scientist. And I need your help."

"What?" I said. "No!"

"Why not?"  
"Because we have no idea who you are, what you're going to do with us or…um…anything else. C'mon, Jan. Let's go."

Jan resisted and said, "no, Jordan . I think it would be interesting."

I opened the door and hopped out. "Yeah, you think anything educational is interesting. C'mon."

Jan looked at Ruby, then at me, then back at Ruby. She turned to me again. "I think I'll stay here. I'm sure I'll be back by dinner. Ruby seems trustworthy enough. Tell mom and dad I'll be back by dinner."

"Fine," I say, walking away. "Suit yourself. Don't blame me if that lady kidnaps you." Now I regret that.

I wondered what I should do for the rest of the day. It's only one thirty and my teachers probably expect me to stay home with Jan and take care of her. Right. Of course, like any other teenage boy, I decide to skip.

……………………..

"Dude," my friend Connor, who was also cutting class, said, "you mean she went away with some strange lady? Dude. That is one dumb chick, dude."

I frowned at him. "I warned her. I told her 'we don't know who she is or what she's doing'."

"Maybe you should have taken her away from that lady even if she protested," said another friend, Jack. "Then you wouldn't be worrying now."

"Dude," Connor said, "if he did he wouldn't be here, dude. He'd be, like, babysitting his baby sister, dude."

"Yeah, so? He could be skipping any day. He should be home with his sister."

"Dude, that is so totally wrong, dude. Babysitting is, like, for sissy chicks."

"And what if she is bound and gagged and this lady is demanding a ransom?"

"Dude, that's just too bad. Not Jordan 's fault. Dude!"

I glanced at my watch. "I think I should be going now. It's three fourty. My parents would be expecting me home."

"Fine, dude. Skip tomorrow?"

"No, my grades are already bad enough."

"Your loss, dude."

…………………………

I trudged home, not too worried about Jan. She's fine—I tell myself silently—she can take care of herself.

I search for my key in the dark. It takes me at least half a minute to find it. I open the door and find myself buried in my mom's hug.

"Oh my gosh!" she said. "Thank goodness you're safe. Where have you been?"

"I was with some friends after…after school. Sorry I'm late."

"You haven't seen Jan?"

"Um…not since school."

Mom let go of me. "Oh no! She's not home yet! She always comes strait home. Oh, what are we going to do?"

My eyes began to grow wide as I realized what was happening. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You mean she's not home? She…I mean…" I dropped my backpack on the floor and ran downstairs into the garage. I got my bike and, without stopping to find my helmet, biked out the door.

"Jordan !" I heared my mom call. "Where are you going?"

I didn't reply. I biked as hard as I could. All I was thinking about was finding Jan. She may be the brattiest little insect on the planet but she's still my sister. And nobody touches my sister. There was only one thought on my mind: _she's gone!_

I believe this is where we began. Just to refresh your memory, I landed hard on my elbows and knees. In frustration, I threw a piece of gravel into the air and it hits something that sounds like metal. Then I hear an "ow!" as something, or someone, falls to the ground.

**Ooh! Cliffie! Keep watching for next chapter! Please review!! Please, please!! **


	2. Holly

**Sorry about the wait people. There's soooo much going on. First my computer breaks down so I have to use my dad's while mine's getting fixed and now we're moving so I don't have a lot of time. Sorry. Now I'm putting up chapter two! Yay!**

Chapter two

Holly

I nearly dance down the sidewalk and into Police Plaza. I rejoined the LEP a few weeks ago and I have never been happier. I'm back with my old friends and colleagues and rank. Sool was fired and Trouble is a great commander, almost as good as Julius himself, and Foaly is inventing useful things like there was no tomorrow. I skip down the hallway to my cubicle and plop down in my swivel chair, shuffling my papers. I turn on my computer and type in my password: iLOVEmyJOB! and shove the papers on my messy desk to the side and put my feet there while I wait for the computer to load. I lace my fingers behind my head and lean back.

"Captain Short," Trouble says over the intercom, "Please report to my office immediately."

I jump up and skip to Trouble's office. Without knocking, I hop in and salute happily. "Morning, Trubs."

The commander swivels around in his chair. "Please don't call me that. Trouble would do."

"Yesser," I say, lowering my hand. "You called me, sir?"

"Yes," he says, standing, "I did. There is trouble. Trouble on the surface. I thought you would be the ideal officer for this job because it involves mud men."

"Mud men?" I groan.

"Actually, a certain Mud Woman. Somehow this woman learned of our existence and has found a way to create many _many_ problems for us and the rest of the People."

"What exactly do you need me to do?"

"You need to find this human and find out what exactly she is doing. But remember," he says, "do not make contact with her. Wait for Retrieval."

"I...I'll try," I say, feeling dishonest. "Do we have a name?"

Trouble nods. "Yes. But even Foaly can't uncover much about her. All we have is location. No more."

"Great. That makes it all the more easier. What's her name?"

"This Mud Woman," Trouble says, and I can almost hear dramatic music in the background, "is called Janet Smyth."


	3. Jordan Again

Chapter three

Jordan Again

The invisible something falls onto the ground and then I see what, or who, it is. The person is wearing a helmet and so I can't see any face. But I think I know who it is. The only person I know who is three feet tall.

"You," I growl. "Where is my sister?"

"Sister?" the person says.

"Yeah. My sister. You took her. Now tell me where she is!" I throw another piece of gravel at her. At least, I think it's a female. The person who took my sister certainly was.

"Hey! Ow!" she cries, holding up her hands defensively. "Look, your problems are none of my business. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar!" I launch another rock at her and it hits her helmet with a clang. "You took her! You took Jan!"

"Ow!"

"Where is she? Where is Jan?"

"Jan?"

"Yes, my sister. You know her! You took her!"

"No, I didn't. I'm looking for someone."

I slowly lower the hand holding another rock. "Who?"

"None of your business!" she snaps. "Thanks a lot for slowing me down." She tries to start up the metal wing thingees on her back but they're already dead. I throw another rock.

"Tell me!"

"Fine! Fine! Just stop throwing rocks! Her name is Janet Smyth. Ow! I said stop throwing rocks!"

"That's my sister!"

"Wait...what? Hold it! Hold it!" I stop throwing the gravel for once.

"Now I know what's going on here," I say, frowning. "She had enough sense to run from you and now you're looking for her so you can collect that ransom you want."

"No!" she, I think, says. "Don't you see? Your sister is a threat. If she isn't stopped, a whole species could be in danger. She must be stopped."

"That's impossible! She loves animals."

"Anima...listen, I have no time for little mu--boys right now. I'm busy."

I grab her arm. "No, let me come. I want to find her."

"No!"

"Let me! Please. I have to find my sister. I have to prove that Jan's innocent. That's what big brothers do."

She looks at me, but I can't tell what her expression is. "Big brother? Just how old is this Janet?"

"Ten. Shouldn't you know?"

"Ten! How can..."

"She's innocent. How can a ten year old brat cause so much trouble? By the way, if we're going to find my sister together, what should I call you?"

She brakes free of my grasp. "We're not doing this together. I've got a job to do, and you'll just ruin it. And probably get me fired."

I grab her again and say, "I won't. You can count on that. I have to find my sister. If anything happens to her when I could have done something about it...I'll never forgive myself." I guess now, I couldn't be sure if this person was male or female. At first I thought it was Ruby, the woman who kidnapped my sister. She certainly was tall enough.

"Fine," this person says, and I let go of his (or her) arm. "And you can address me as 'captain'. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Alright, cap," I smile.


	4. Jan

Chapter four

Jan

Ruby is nice. She says she has recently discovered a never before found piece of land with all this oil underneath and since my parents work for an oil company, she wants me to help convince her father to dig there and get rich.

"Wow!" I say. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, why not go to some other company? Why this one?"

Ruby smiles, looking amused. "Yours was the easiest to get to. I wanted to get to someone fast before someone else found this oil."

"When am I going home?"

"Oh, soon. Just after I make this phone call. And it's a private call, I'd rather you not listen in."

I nod and move to the back of the van. _A private call,_ I think, _should I? No. Will I? I sure am tempted. I think...I think I will._ I smile mischievously and put my strain my ears to pick up Ruby's voice.

"Hello, Opal?" she says. "It's Ruby, your sister. I'm really close. Hang in there. I've got the daughter of Henry Smyth to go along with it. Without even mesmerizing her! Soon, the mud men will dig for the 'oil' and dig right through the roof of your cell...Yeah, I know. I've got it all planned. Stay to the northeast corner and you won't even be touched...yes...hang tight, sis. You're almost out."

_Oh my god!_ I think_. The crook! She's trying to get her sister out of some sort of underground prison! How could I have been so stupid?_

"Alright," Ruby says. "Time to get you home."

"No!" I cry, angry at her for lying and using me. "You're using me! I won't go along with this!"

"You listened," she growls. "I should have known. You mud men are all the same. _You will go to your father," _she says looking into my wide eyes. Her voice is like a choir. It's the loveliest sound I've ever heard. "_You will tell him you heard from a scientist who came to your school for a presentation there is oil under the ground in the spot I said. You will obey me."_

"Yes...alright..."

**Yeah, short chapter, I know. Ugh, I've worked for days on this one chapter! Please review!**


	5. Jordan Yet Again

Chapter five

Jordan Yet Again

I walk up the stair to my house at 11:30 pm. The captain said that Jan would be home. Said I should talk to her and report back to the captain. I was given a little doohickey that could call the captain's phone or something.

_"Why not just call your cell?" I asked. _

_"Because," Captain said, "it won't work. Stuff civilians aren't supposed to know about." I decided not to argue._

"Jan!" I call as I open the door.

I'm met by my mother again. "Jordan!" she cries. "Oh, my god! You had me so worried. Jan came home just a few minutes ago!"

My sister comes and joins my mom and me. She looks different. Her hair isa little messy and her eyes don't seem right, as if she's staring at something far away. "Hello, Jordan."

"Uh, Jan?" I say. Time to do this. "I gotta talk to you."

She nods and we go into my room. I sit her down on my bed. "Jan," I say, "I heard from...a friend that you were doing something wrong. I want to know what it is you're doing that's making this friend think you are endangering a whole species of something. Don't ask me what."

"You must be mistaken, Jordan," Jan says. Her voice is uncertain, like she's not telling me something. "I'm not doing anything. Ruby said she had discovered a never before found piece of land. With oil underneath!"

"Uh huh," I say. "Sure. She's lying to you, sis. That little crook finding a whole piece of land is impossible. It's about as real as me meeting a fairy with...with a big gun. It's a lie."

She frowns and I find myself very very annoyed. As usual. Jan can be so stupid sometimes! "She's not lying. She's a scientist. She wanted me to tell dad that there's a lot of oil."

I sigh. It's no use. No use at all. She's not going to talk. That Ruby woman has her completely in her power. Somehow, she managed to convince Jan that what she was doing was completely harmless.

Jan has left and I'm alone in my room again. I get that thing that resembles a palm-pilot and dial the number the captain told me to dial. Soon the captain's helmeted head appears on the screen. I jump back in surprise. "Jeez!" I say. "You surprised me. I didn't know this thing had a camera."

"There's a lot you don't know, boy," the captain says. "Now what did she say?"

"Nothing. She said that this woman, the woman that I thought kidnapped her, wanted to help us get rich."

"Where does this woman want the company your parents work for to dig?"

I tell her exactly where, at least from what I heard from Jan. And I hear the captain take in a short, sharp breath.

"What is this woman's name?" There was a hint of suspicion in the captain's voice.

"Ruby. I don't know her last name. Why?"

"Ruby? Are you sure? Is she three feet tall? Does she have dark hair and green eyes?" I answer yes to all of the questions. The captain drops her (or his) head in her (or his) hands. "Great. Just wonderful. Another Koboi back to haunt me."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story," the captain snaps. "And confidential."

I scratch my head and squint. "So...what do we do now?"

I hear a shout from the background. "Captain Short! You still working on that mud woman case? I hope so, because it just got worse." _Mud woman?_

"Hold on Commander, just a second." The captain turns back to me. "I have to go. I'll get back to you later. Keep the communicator on, I don't want to call you with something urgent just to find it off."

"Sure thing, Captain _Short_," I chuckle.

"Oh, shut up, Smyth." And the link is terminated.

"I tried to convince my Commander that it was really Ruby Koboi who was behind this whole thing," the captain says over the communicator, "but-"

"He doesn't take hunches from officers under four feet tall?" I say.

"Will you quit the short jokes? I'm not _that_ short."

I smile broadly. "Yeah, and my sister isn't _that_ annoying." I can imagine the captain glaring darkly at me from behind that helmet and I wonder why he (or she) keeps the helmet on.

"But he said we can't be sure unless we have real evidence," the captain mutters. "It's possible your sister is doing this on her own free will."

"Oh. So he has no problem with miniature officers making guesses, Captain _Short_?"

The captain leans back against the chair and I hear Captain Short mutter, "I'm sooo going to kill Trouble."

I decide to change the subject. "So what are we going to do about Jan and this 'Ruby Koboi'?"

"We're going on stake out tonight, and see what Koboi and your sister are planning and report back. Well, _I'm_ going to report back. You're going to stay put and try to get to your sister. She should believe her big brother, shouldn't she?"

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Well, that's the plan. And we're going to go along with it."

I rub my palms together. "Ooh, a real stake out! Just like in those cop shows. What's plan B?"

"Um...there's no plan B as far as I know. The back up are pretty much our plan B."

I drop my hands by my sides and look dramatically disappointed. "Oh. Let's go then."

"Meet me at the corner closest to your house."

I solute. "Aye-aye, Captain _Short_."

The captain closes the link before I can pull of any more short jokes.


End file.
